Is this what our "modern" society is becoming now? A society where we allow organizations like "autism speaks" to advocate for nazi eugenics??!!

First we dealt with women's civil rights, then the civil rights of all races, now the civil rights of gay/trans/etc are being finally dealt with.... So when will the autistic community get our civil rights? our right to neurodiversity. Our right to our own perspective? We face the same plight as any other group that has been discriminated against.

Like women, they try to take our voice. Like those of African descent, they try and deny us equal opportunities to life. Like the gay community, they seek to cure us like we are diseased! We are no different than any of these groups, I'm sure somewhere out there, there is a black lesbian woman who is on the autistic spectrum. They have begun to use terms referring to autistics as insults. We have been where every other minority has been, fighting along their sides for their rights. Now here we are a minority among minorities.

Is our right to live as other humans would, any less worthy?

With that in mind I ask you, this month if no other month, whenever you see something for an organization such as Autism Speaks, if you hear someone say "sperg" or "you're so autistic", or just someone on the autistic spectrum suffering at the hands of such discrimination. Speak up.

__________________
"The chaos of the world viewed from a distance reveals perfection."- me

"Never overestimate the intellect of someone so foolish that they would exploit and perpetuate stupidity in the people around them, for they create their own damnation as they tear out and sell the pillars that support society as﻿ a whole, bringing it crashing down upon them."-me

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”- Einstein

Dude, there's a lot wrong with what you're saying. Firstly it insinuates that other oppressed people have their issues taken care of (they didn't.) And that rather band aid laws solve everything for everyone in the group. (gay marriage isn't going to stop so many trans people from being murdered and assaulted, nor does it address many bullshit laws that hurt trans people). It also assumes no autistics are involved in any of these movements, or that disability intersects with other oppressions. Yes, black people can be autistic. But because of racism, white people are more likely to get a proper diagnosis and care. Also, it ignores there is a large disability movement that has its own issues with acknowledging racism, sexism, queerphobia etc within its own ranks. It also implies there are no women, PoC, queer or trans people who have autism.

__________________
Adorn your hearts, you who see the blossoms
At flower-viewing hall
For the Buddha does not exist
Apart from this.

Dude, there's a lot wrong with what you're saying. Firstly it insinuates that other oppressed people have their issues taken care of (they didn't.) And that rather band aid laws solve everything for everyone in the group. (gay marriage isn't going to stop so many trans people from being murdered and assaulted, nor does it address many bullshit laws that hurt trans people). It also assumes no autistics are involved in any of these movements, or that disability intersects with other oppressions. Yes, black people can be autistic. But because of racism, white people are more likely to get a proper diagnosis and care. Also, it ignores there is a large disability movement that has its own issues with acknowledging racism, sexism, queerphobia etc within its own ranks. It also implies there are no women, PoC, queer or trans people who have autism.

Hmm, my apologies but you seem to have taken my meaning to be the exact opposite as I had intended, I should of thought it out more.

My intention was to illustrate how all these other discrimination problems have been acknowledged, by the public at large. I've been a member of gnet far too long to be under the illusion that they are gone and dealt with(I've been paying attention), plus my sociology class pretty much provided all the education I could need on how systematic the discrimination has been (blockbusting).

I was actually specifically trying to be inclusive with the statement of "I'm sure somewhere out there, there is a black lesbian woman who is on the autistic spectrum", sort of like those "I was there too, fighting along your side" kind of campaigns. I apologize for giving off the opposite.

I'm also trying to emphasize a bit of urgency due to the fact that every year, they seem to be getting closer to finishing the job. But I am honestly getting rather scared, things just seem to be getting worse, it's hard to think clearly in such a state I suppose. Everywhere I look these days I see more and more blue puzzle pieces, the logo of autism speaks, the organization that dehumanizes and seeks to exterminate autism. Hell they have the damn empire state building lit up in blue every year. Blue everywhere.

I'll be honest I'm not immune to their hateful rhetoric, sometimes I do wonder, if maybe they're right, and everything about me is wrong. The media hasn't hesitated to shove that message in my face, I know for a fact I'm far from the only person on the spectrum being pushed to self depreciation.

It's not coincidence that there is a high suicide rate among autistics. A friend of mine on the spectrum in Alaska who is like a little sister to me once sent me a picture of just what such self depreciation+a pen results in, and she has an IQ of 121(I'm not quite sure what mine is currently).

__________________
"The chaos of the world viewed from a distance reveals perfection."- me

"Never overestimate the intellect of someone so foolish that they would exploit and perpetuate stupidity in the people around them, for they create their own damnation as they tear out and sell the pillars that support society as﻿ a whole, bringing it crashing down upon them."-me

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”- Einstein

Hmm, my apologies but you seem to have taken my meaning to be the exact opposite as I had intended, I should of thought it out more.

My intention was to illustrate how all these other discrimination problems have been acknowledged, by the public at large. I've been a member of gnet far too long to be under the illusion that they are gone and dealt with(I've been paying attention), plus my sociology class pretty much provided all the education I could need on how systematic the discrimination has been (blockbusting).

But they aren't really acknowledge, and not more than autism is. And that's not me saying ableism is fully acknowledge, because it isnt, but I wouldn't say racism or sexism gets more acknowledgement at all.

Quote:

I was actually specifically trying to be inclusive with the statement of "I'm sure somewhere out there, there is a black lesbian woman who is on the autistic spectrum", sort of like those "I was there too, fighting along your side" kind of campaigns. I apologize for giving off the opposite.

Because it comes across like its easy to ignore the black and queer autistic folks who aren't just hypothetical or a statistic. Black autistics have a lot more problems that white autistics have, including later diagnosis and more alarming misdiagnosis:

Quote:

When white children were misdiagnosed with autism they were usually told they had ADHD, but Mandell discovered that Black autistic children were told they had things like psychoses, mental retardation or selective mutism. This, along with the fear that Black parents have of reporting their child's behavioral issues due to the fact that their children are removed from the home as a result more often, makes it hard for Black children with autism to get the treatment that they need.

I'm also trying to emphasize a bit of urgency due to the fact that every year, they seem to be getting closer to finishing the job. But I am honestly getting rather scared, things just seem to be getting worse, it's hard to think clearly in such a state I suppose. Everywhere I look these days I see more and more blue puzzle pieces, the logo of autism speaks, the organization that dehumanizes and seeks to exterminate autism. Hell they have the damn empire state building lit up in blue every year. Blue everywhere.

To be fair, I don't think everyone knows the full implications of it. Like when people buy Pink Ribbon stuff, I don't think they know the shitty shitty things Komen does. Like a friend of mine JUST put up the blue Autism Awareness Month puzzle piece on her facebook, but she's far from agreeing with Autism Speaks.

We have a lot of conversations about things like this, her and I, because she works with the foster care system, specifically she works in a home for special needs children who are not able to find a foster home. She takes care of a severely autistic girl, who can't speak, uses diapers, etc, she's very reliant on caregivers. And it angers my friend that everyone feels bad for her, that she doesn't have quality of life and she's very vocal about that.

Quote:

I'll be honest I'm not immune to their hateful rhetoric, sometimes I do wonder, if maybe they're right, and everything about me is wrong. The media hasn't hesitated to shove that message in my face, I know for a fact I'm far from the only person on the spectrum being pushed to self depreciation.

It's not coincidence that there is a high suicide rate among autistics. A friend of mine on the spectrum in Alaska who is like a little sister to me once sent me a picture of just what such self depreciation+a pen results in, and she has an IQ of 121(I'm not quite sure what mine is currently).

Not that I think its right, but one has to keep in mind how being high functioning is different from more severe cases like the girl I mentioned above. Sweet girl, and my friend is very attached to her and once she turns 18 and leaves foster care she's hoping she can keep in touch, but the only reason she's in foster care is because her mother can't afford to take care of her. Her mother loves her very much, visits often and is hoping to get in the position where she can take her back soon, but many parents are simply not financially capable of taking care of disabled children, and a large amount end up in the foster care system. I understand why people would want a cure for kids in cases like that.

__________________
Adorn your hearts, you who see the blossoms
At flower-viewing hall
For the Buddha does not exist
Apart from this.